April 25th Commissioners' Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners conducted a second and final public hearing at their regular meeting focusing on the 23rd Amendment to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution. The issue that attracted the most attention at the initial public hearing March 28th dealt with permitting orchards and vineyards in the Agricultural Suburban and Agricultural Estates zone districts with a 4 ½ acre limit. The Commissioners intent was to allow orchard and vineyard use where they were not permitted previously in those zoning districts, but citizens protested the acreage limit saying orchards and vineyards already exist in those zones on much smaller acreages. The Commissioners said after review they intend to remove the acreage limit and allow orchards and vineyards in Ag Suburban and Ag Estates zones by permitted use.

Commissioner Ed Norden also noted that new language in the zoning amendment requiring that any zone change application include a site development plan was modified by the Commissioners. Norden said instead of requiring site development plans for any change of business or industrial use or expansion, the Commissioners amended the language to say site development plans would be required in event of "any substantial change" to a business or expansion. Norden said while the Commissioners want managed growth, they do not want to discourage the expansion of small business.

The Commissioners tabled final adoption of the 23rd zoning amendment to the May 9th Board meeting.

The Commissioners approved a variance of the county's subdivision regulations for Northwest E.M.S. allowing for the creation of a 4.02 outlot along County Road 2 (Tallahassee Road). The outlot was previously approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment due to the fact that the minimum lot size in the zone district is 35 acres. Creation of the outlot will allow Northwest E.M.S. and the Tallahassee Volunteer Fire Department to erect an ambulance garage and fire station on the lot. The Commissioners also waived the $350 application fee.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Approved a temporary use permit for the Blossom Festival carnival to operate May 1st through the 8th at Elm Avenue and Oak Creek Grade Road.
• Approved a six month extension for Mary Ann LeBlanc's final plat for Maple Leaf Estates at Windsor and York Avenues north of Cañon City.
• Approved a variance request for Dave Strom to install a new septic system at 725 MacKenzie despite being within 300 feet of the sanitation district's main sewer interceptor.
• Appointed Kerry Ann McHugh of the Royal Gorge Route Railroad to a vacancy on the Fremont County Tourism Councill.

In recognition of National Volunteers week, Fremont County 4-H Extension agent Verla Noakes reported that 100 Fremont County 4-H volunteers donated an average of ten hours monthly last year. Calculated at a rate of over $18 per hour for their volunteer work, Noakes said the value of the volunteers' contributions totaled more than $216,000 to Fremont County 4-H programs.

Fremont County Fire Ban

The Fremont County Commissioners adopted a countywide fire ban at the Board's regular meeting April 25th at the request of Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker. The Commissioners approved a resolution immediately imposing the fire ban. Extremely dry conditions and recent strong winds led to the decision. It was noted that southeastern Colorado has seen at least a dozen red flag fire danger warnings in recent weeks which is unprecedented for this early in the spring season.
The fire ban includes these prohibitions:

• No open burning or agricultural burning
• No open campfires
• No fireworks
• No welding or use of a torch with an open flame
• No smoking except in an enclosed vehicle or building (the tossing of lit cigarette butts from moving vehicles is strictly prohibited

Under the current fire ban the use of backyard charcoal and propane barbecue grills is permitted. Contained barbecue grills can also be used within established recreation areas and campgrounds.

The resolution adopted by the Commissioners imposes restrictions under the existing county fire ban ordinance. Later on Tuesday's agenda, the Commissioners approved an Ordinance on first reading that will be the guidelines for future fire bans. The new ordinance gets more specific by listing three different stages of fire restrictions. The ordinance change is intended to bring Fremont County’s fire restrictions in line with other federal, state, and local fire district guidelines. That will allow imposition of future county fire bans to parallel those being imposed by other agencies.

Holcim-Fremont County Tire Recycling

The Holcim Cement Plant at Portland and Fremont County are teaming together to sponsor another tire recycling day for residents and consumers in Fremont County. The tire recycling is this Saturday, April 22nd, at the Holcim Cement Plant along Colorado Highway 120 east of Florence.

Only clean passenger vehicle tires will be accepted. There will be a limit of 12 tires for each Fremont County household and you must show a picture identification. Tractor tires, monster tires, and semi-truck tires will not be accepted. The tires will be accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon this Saturday. When delivering the tires you should follow the signs to the west entrance of the Holcim plant. The tire recycling is free of charge.

The Fremont County Commissioners urge citizens to get involved in the spring clean-up effort and recycle your old passenger car tires this Saturday. The Commissioners also commend the Holcim Company for providing another tire recycling opportunity to local residents. Holcim chips and burns the tires at extremely high temperatures in their cement kilns.

Zoning Amendment Changes

A public hearing that raised concerns over zoning restrictions on small acreages in Fremont County is scheduled to resume at next Tuesday's regular board meeting. The County Commissioners continued the March 28th public hearing on the 23rd Amendment to the Zoning Resolution until April 25th. The Commissioners say minor changes made to the amendment after listening to the public's desire to protect historical agricultural uses should satisfy those concerns.

The original language would have permitted orchards and vineyards in the Agricultural Estates and Agricultural Suburban zone districts only if the property contained a minimum of 4 1/2 acres. After a workshop with the Planning Department staff the Commissioners will propose at Tuesday's hearing that orchards and vineyards be permitted in those districts regardless of acreage. The Commissioners also propose that instead of restricting roadside fruit and vegetable stands to a 90 day operation, those stands should be allowed to operate for the duration of the growing season.

The only other significant change to language in the zoning amendment is a section dealing with the requirement for site development plans. The Commissioners want to add a word describing when site development plans are required for any change of use of a business or a business expansion. They would only require the development plans for any 'substantial' changes to a business or expansion.

The public hearing on the zoning amendment will resume at 10 a.m. at the Commissioners' April 25th meeting.

Phantom Canyon Road Closure

The Fremont County Road and Bridge Department has announced that Phantom Canyon Road (County Road 67) will be closed to all through traffic into Teller County starting Monday, April 24th as work begins on a bridge reconstruction. Reynolds Construction of Cañon City is slated to begin work on a new timber deck for the bridge located just south of the Fremont-Teller County line. Under the $23,967 contract, crews will remove the old bridge decking and install new timbers. Reynolds will have 60 days to complete the work with the road expected to reopen to traffic by late June.

Motorists will encounter road blocks in both Fremont and Teller Counties on Phantom Canyon Road starting April 24th and should plan to use alternate routes.

The project is being funded by a $50,000 Colorado Mineral Impact Grant, $10,000 in local matching money from Fremont County, and a $10,000 contribution from the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company.

April 11th Commissioners' Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners approved a Special Review Use Permit for a controversial fire station and community center in the Upper Beaver Creek area near Penrose, but the approval came with a stipulation. The Commissioners gave approval for the Upper Beaver Creek Rural Fire Protection Association to build the fire station at the intersection of County Road #132 and Rimrock Terrace. Several neighbors and members of the Red Rocks homeowners association had written letters and petitions protesting the community center portion of the project. The Commissioners added a contingency that the permit would be issued only after the rural fire protection association and the homeowners group submit an agreement outlining guidelines as to how the facility would be used.

The Commissioners approved a temporary use permit for Gary Stendahl to operate a flea market from May 10th through October 30th on the grounds and parking lot of the Broken Spoke arena south of Highways 50 and 115 at Penrose. The flea market will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday over the six month period.

The Commissioners heard a presentation from Jane Mannon of the Cripple Creek Victor Gold Mine about their Teller County operation. Of the 300 employees at the gold mine, 84 employess commute from Fremont County. The Commissioners took the opportunity to thank the company for a $10,000 contribution towards the $70,000 cost of installing a new deck on a Fremont County bridge on Phantom Canyon Road near the Fremont-Teller County line.

In other action Tuesday the Board of Commissioners:

• granted a six month extension for the two lot Heart 4 minor subdivision at 6th and 'J' Streets in Penrose;
• approved a two unit plat for Preston Troutman’s construction of a duplex at 1370 Washington north of Cañon City;
• and scheduled three public hearings for the May 9th Board meeting dealing with a special review use permit for expansion of the Cody Park Community Church along County Road #27A in the Copper Gulch area, a conditional use permit for a rock quarry west of Cañon City along County Road #69 two miles north of Highway 50, and for expansion of the Seufer Tree Farm nursery on south Raynolds Avenue in the FourMile area.
  
  The Commissioners also reminded citizens that a public hearing that began at the March 28th Board meeting on the proposed 23rd Amendment to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution will continue at 10 a.m. at the April 25th regular meeting. The Commissioners intend to propose a change to language dealing with orchards and vineyards in the Agricultural Suburban and Agricultural Rural zone districts.
  

Phantom Canyon Bridge Bid Award

The Fremont County Commissioners awarded a bid for a bridge repair project on the Phantom Canyon Road during a special meeting on Thursday, April 6th. The Commissioners received three bids for the project when bids were opened on March 30th. After a review of the bid package, County Engineer Jack Effinger recommended that the bid be awarded to Reynolds Construction of Canon City which submitted the low bid on the project. Reynolds' bid totaled $23,967. The other two bids exceeded $27,000.

The work involves resurfacing of the bridge which is about eleven miles north on Phantom Canyon Road from Highway 50. The County previously purchased the necessary timber last fall for the new wood decking on the bridge. Reynolds will be responsible for removing the old bridge decking and installing the new timbers.

The project is being funded by a $50,000 Colorado Mineral Impact Grant, $10,000 in local matching money from Fremont County, and a generous $10,000 donation from the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company. Several Fremont County employees of the gold mine travel Phantom Canyon Road to commute to work.

The bridge reconstruction will force the temporary closure of Phantom Canyon Road during the six to eight week construction period. Reynolds Construction is expected to start work in the next several weeks and hope to have the project finished by mid-June.